It Doesn't Matter
by JEK623
Summary: Joy's life has slowly fallen apart: Jerome twisted the knife to her chest and broke up with her, and Mara was mad at her for falling for said boy. Now, all she wants to do is have everything back to normal. But life is never fair.


**It Doesn't Matter**

_A/N: First, I own nothing. Second, I ship Joyrome, and find Mara to be a huge bitch. I am sorry but it's true. Enjoy! Candy hearts to all, _

_JEK623_

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Jerome leaned back against his door, crystal blue eyes brimming tears. He rubs them away with his fist, anger boiling in his blood. _Come on, Jerome,_ he chides himself, _you can't just let her harp your heart strings. You've gotta be strong. _

But how can he be strong when the girl he thought he _loved _was out there, giggling with his ex girlfriend, Mara about how he fell for it, and that he was just a useless sap. But no. He wouldn't dare take that from two girls who ruined his life.

Jerome stands on shaky legs when he hears Trudy's call for dinner. He grabs the wall for support, the peeling paper creasing under his unsteady hands as he wrenched open the door and wandered out into the hall, falling behind Willow and Alfie, who held hands and grinned shy smiles at one another.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the scene.

Joy used to always be sappy and loving with him, give him little giggles at one of his idiotic plans that backfired, or when they were laying out on the roof outside her window, cuddling as they stared into the starry glare from the sky.

_They_ were supposed to be cutesy. _They_ were supposed to be the it-couple. _THEY_ were the comic relief.

Groaning inwardly, Jerome takes a seat between Patricia and Alfie, ignoring the way Willow poked the darker boy's nose playfully, almost knocking over a lit candle, but her knight in shining armor saved it on a whim. Jerome glances down the table at Joy, who was reluctantly taking discreet orders from Mara Jaffray, the girl who always had to have it her way.

As usual.

Drained, Jerome turned to his food and picked at it with his fork, appetite suddenly gone.

.

.

"No, Mara," Joy interrupts the fiery black-haired girl, who wouldn't just _shut up_ for five minutes, "I am not hurting him worse than he did to me."

"To _you?_" Mara interjects, steam billowing from her ears in infuriation. "He broke _my _heart!" The mocha-skinned girl paced the expanse of their room, Joy and Willow sitting at the edges of their beds, the latter preoccupied by texting her boyfriend than paying attention to Mara's constant determination to ruin Jerome's life.

Joy sighed, picking at the frayed edge of her uniform skirt. She still had yet to change because Mara wouldn't stop sighed, walking around to pull a pair of cutoff sweats and a tank top from her bureau and heading to the bathroom. Mara followed her, up until Joy slammed the door in her face.

She turned on the shower and hopped in, glad that Mara's nasal, annoying voice was drowned out by the sound of lukewarm water pelting the aged ceramic tub beneath her feet.

As Joy stood under the cooling water, she thought everything over. Mara still loves Jerome, but she wants to break his heart so they're even. Willow finds it cute, with Alfie now in her life. And now Mara was pissed because Joy ruined the plan by falling for Jerome.

Too soon, the water is Antartica cold, and Joy steps out, drying off and changing quick. Tossing her curly wet hair up in a bun, she trots downstairs. Mara was still up in their room, silently fuming. Plopping down on the edge of the couch next to Eddie, she tugs open her novel and leans back.

Next time Joy looks up, Eddie and the others are gone, leaving her with...

_Jerome Clarke, himself. _

Mentally cussing, Joy sits up, her book closing with a _clap._ Jerome looks up from his own novel, glasz eyes she'd learned to love too well meeting her hazel.

"I'm sorry, Jerome." She declares, holding his eyes for a pure, silent moment.

But just as the bubbles of hope fill her stomach, he turns away, clamming his own book shut and standing. Fixing his blazer, he glares into her eyes, and says the three words that break her heart all over again:

"It doesn't matter."

.

.

_A/N: Please don't hate me. I just had to write a Joyrome fic, even if it __was __short. If you haven't, please read more of my stories. Lots of luffles. ;)_


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